- Source
- Homer. Homeri Opera, Volumes 1-2. Monro, D. B. (David Binning), editor; Allen, Thomas W. (Thomas William), editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1908-1920.
- Translation
- AI-generated (gemini-3.5-flash) — machine translation; may contain errors
- Languages
- 日本語 · English · 简体中文 · 한국어
- CTS URN
- urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:17.347-17.416
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-01
Lycomedes avenges his fallen comrade, and Asteropaeus tries to charge but is blocked by the Achaeans' solid defense. A fierce struggle for Patroclus' corpse ensues in a dark mist, likened to stretching a bull's hide, while Achilles remains unaware of his friend's death.
στῆ δὲ μάλʼ ἐγγὺς ἰών, καὶ ἀκόντισε δουρὶ φαεινῷ,
He came and stood very near, and cast with his bright spear,
καὶ βάλεν Ἱππασίδην Ἀπισάονα ποιμένα λαῶν
and struck Apisaon, son of Hippasus, shepherd of the people,
ἧπαρ ὑπὸ πραπίδων,1 εἶθαρ δʼ ὑπὸ γούνατʼ ἔλυσεν,
in the liver beneath the midriff, and straightway loosed his knees.
ὅς ῥʼ ἐκ Παιονίης ἐριβώλακος εἰληλούθει,
He had come from fertile Paeonia,
καὶ δὲ μετʼ Ἀστεροπαῖον2 ἀριστεύεσκε μάχεσθαι.
and next after Asteropaeus was the best of them in fight.
τὸν δὲ πεσόντʼ ἐλέησεν ἀρήϊος Ἀστεροπαῖος,
And as he fell, warlike Asteropaeus pitied him,
ἴθυσεν δὲ καὶ ὃ πρόφρων Δαναοῖσι μάχεσθαι·
and he too rushed forward full eagerly to fight with the Danaans;
ἀλλʼ οὔ πως ἔτι εἶχε· σάκεσσι γὰρ ἔρχατο πάντῃ
yet he could not do so anymore; for they were fenced on every side with shields
ἑσταότες περὶ Πατρόκλῳ, πρὸ δὲ δούρατʼ ἔχοντο.
as they stood about Patroclus, and held their spears before them.
Αἴας γὰρ μάλα πάντας ἐπῴχετο πολλὰ κελεύων·
For Ajax went among them all and charged them straitly:
οὔτέ τινʼ ἐξοπίσω νεκροῦ χάζεσθαι ἀνώγει
he bade that no man shrink back from the corpse,
οὔτέ τινα προμάχεσθαι Ἀχαιῶν ἔξοχον ἄλλων,
nor any of the Achaeans fight in advance of the rest,
ἀλλὰ μάλʼ ἀμφʼ αὐτῷ βεβάμεν, σχεδόθεν δὲ μάχεσθαι.
but stand firm about it and fight in close combat.
ὣς Αἴας ἐπέτελλε πελώριος, αἵματι δὲ χθὼν
So giant Ajax commanded, and the earth was wet with
δεύετο πορφυρέῳ, τοὶ δʼ ἀγχιστῖνοι ἔπιπτον
dark blood, and they fell close-thronged,
νεκροὶ ὁμοῦ Τρώων καὶ ὑπερμενέων ἐπικούρων
both of the Trojans and their high-spirited allies, and of the Danaans too;
καὶ Δαναῶν· οὐδʼ οἳ γὰρ ἀναιμωτί γε μάχοντο,
for they too fought not without blood,
παυρότεροι δὲ πολὺ φθίνυθον· μέμνηντο γὰρ αἰεὶ
though far fewer of them perished, for they were ever mindful
ἀλλήλοις ἀνʼ ὅμιλον ἀλεξέμεναι φόνον αἰπύν.
to ward off sheer destruction from one another in the throng.
ὣς οἳ μὲν μάρναντο δέμας πυρός, οὐδέ κε φαίης
So they fought like blazing fire, nor would you have said
οὔτέ ποτʼ ἠέλιον σῶν ἔμμεναι οὔτε σελήνην·
that either sun or moon was safe,
ἠέρι γὰρ κατέχοντο μάχης ἐπί θʼ ὅσσον ἄριστοι
for they were shrouded in mist in the battle, as many of the bravest as
ἕστασαν ἀμφὶ Μενοιτιάδῃ κατατεθνηῶτι.
stood about the dead son of Menoetius.
οἳ δʼ ἄλλοι Τρῶες καὶ ἐϋκνήμιδες Ἀχαιοὶ
But the rest of the Trojans and the well-greaved Achaeans
εὔκηλοι πολέμιζον ὑπʼ αἰθέρι, πέπτατο δʼ αὐγὴ
fought at ease under a clear sky, and the sharp light of the sun
ἠελίου ὀξεῖα, νέφος δʼ οὐ φαίνετο πάσης
was spread abroad, and no cloud appeared over all the earth or the mountains;
γαίης οὐδʼ ὀρέων· μεταπαυόμενοι δὲ μάχοντο
they fought with pauses,
ἀλλήλων ἀλεείνοντες βέλεα στονόεντα
avoiding one another’s grievous shafts, standing far apart.
πολλὸν ἀφεσταότες. τοὶ δʼ ἐν μέσῳ ἄλγεʼ ἔπασχον
But those in the midst suffered pain from the mist and the battle,
ἠέρι καὶ πολέμῳ, τείροντο δὲ νηλέϊ χαλκῷ
and all the bravest were worn out by the pitiless bronze.
ὅσσοι ἄριστοι ἔσαν· δύο δʼ οὔ πω φῶτε πεπύσθην
But two glorious men, Thrasymedes and Antilochus,
ἀνέρε κυδαλίμω Θρασυμήδης Ἀντίλοχός τε
had not yet heard that peerless Patroclus was dead,
Πατρόκλοιο θανόντος ἀμύμονος, ἀλλʼ ἔτʼ ἔφαντοζωὸν ἐνὶ πρώτῳ ὁμάδῳ Τρώεσσι μάχεσθαι.
but thought he was still alive and fighting with the Trojans in the forefront of the throng.
τὼ δʼ ἐπιοσσομένω θάνατον καὶ φύζαν ἑταίρων
These two, watching for the death and flight of their companions,
νόσφιν ἐμαρνάσθην, ἐπεὶ ὣς ἐπετέλλετο Νέστωρ
were fighting apart, since Nestor had so charged them
ὀτρύνων πόλεμον δὲ μελαινάων ἀπὸ νηῶν.
when urging them into the battle from the black ships.
τοῖς δὲ πανημερίοις ἔριδος μέγα νεῖκος ὀρώρει
But for the others, all day long arose the great strife of their bitter conflict;
ἀργαλέης· καμάτῳ δὲ καὶ ἱδρῷ νωλεμὲς αἰεὶ
and without ceasing, with weariness and sweat,
γούνατά τε κνῆμαί τε πόδες θʼ ὑπένερθεν ἑκάστου
were the knees and shins and feet beneath each man,
χεῖρές τʼ ὀφθαλμοί τε παλάσσετο μαρναμένοιινἀμφʼ ἀγαθὸν θεράποντα ποδώκεος Αἰακίδαο.
and hands and eyes spattered, as they fought about the good squire of the fleet-footed grandson of Aeacus.
ὡς δʼ ὅτʼ ἀνὴρ ταύροιο βοὸς μεγάλοιο βοείην
And as when a man gives to his people the hide of a great bull
λαοῖσιν δώῃ τανύειν μεθύουσαν ἀλοιφῇ·3
to stretch, all wet with fat;
δεξάμενοι δʼ ἄρα τοί γε διαστάντες τανύουσι
and they take it and stretch it, standing in a circle,
κυκλόσʼ, ἄφαρ δέ τε ἰκμὰς ἔβη, δύνει δέ τʼ ἀλοιφὴ
and straightway the moisture goes out, and the fat enters in,
πολλῶν ἑλκόντων, τάνυται δέ τε πᾶσα διὰ πρό·
as many pull, and it is stretched tight throughout;
ὣς οἵ γʼ ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα νέκυν ὀλίγῃ ἐνὶ χώρῃ
even so they on this side and on that were dragging the corpse hither and thither in a narrow space;
εἵλκεον ἀμφότεροι· μάλα δέ σφισιν ἔλπετο θυμὸς
and the hearts of both were full of hope—the Trojans to drag him to Ilium,
Τρωσὶν μὲν ἐρύειν προτὶ Ἴλιον, αὐτὰρ Ἀχαιοῖς
but the Achaeans to the hollow ships;
νῆας ἔπι γλαφυράς· περὶ δʼ αὐτοῦ μῶλος ὀρώρει
and about him arose a wild tumult;
ἄγριος· οὐδέ κʼ Ἄρης λαοσσόος οὐδέ κʼ Ἀθήνη
nor could Ares, rouser of hosts, nor Athena,
τόν γε ἰδοῦσʼ ὀνόσαιτʼ,4 οὐδʼ εἰ μάλα μιν χόλος ἵκοι·
have looked on and made light of it, not even if anger had come heavily upon them.
τοῖον Ζεὺς ἐπὶ Πατρόκλῳ ἀνδρῶν τε καὶ ἵππων
Such evil toil of men and horses did Zeus stretch over Patroclus
ἤματι τῷ ἐτάνυσσε κακὸν πόνον· οὐδʼ ἄρα πώ τι
on that day. Nor as yet did divine Achilles know
ᾔδεε Πάτροκλον τεθνηότα δῖος Ἀχιλλεύς·
at all that Patroclus was dead;
πολλὸν γὰρ ῥʼ ἀπάνευθε νεῶν μάρναντο θοάων
for far away from the swift ships were they fighting,
τείχει ὕπο Τρώων· τό μιν οὔ ποτε ἔλπετο θυμῷ
beneath the wall of the Trojans. Therefore he never deemed in his heart
τεθνάμεν, ἀλλὰ ζωὸν ἐνιχριμφθέντα πύλῃσιν
that he was dead, but that alive, after he had reached the gates,
ἂψ ἀπονοστήσειν, ἐπεὶ οὐδὲ τὸ ἔλπετο πάμπαν
he would return back again; for he did not at all expect
ἐκπέρσειν πτολίεθρον ἄνευ ἕθεν, οὐδὲ σὺν αὐτῷ·
that Patroclus would sack the city without him, no, nor even with him;
πολλάκι γὰρ τό γε μητρὸς ἐπεύθετο νόσφιν ἀκούων,
for often had he heard this from his mother, listening to her apart,
ἥ οἱ ἀπαγγέλλεσκε Διὸς μεγάλοιο νόημα.
when she would bring him word of the counsel of great Zeus.
δὴ τότε γʼ οὔ οἱ ἔειπε κακὸν τόσον ὅσσον ἐτύχθη
Yet then his mother told him not of such evil as had come to pass,
μήτηρ, ὅττί ῥά οἱ πολὺ φίλτατος ὤλεθʼ ἑταῖρος.
that his companion, far dearest to him, had perished.
οἳ δʼ αἰεὶ περὶ νεκρὸν ἀκαχμένα δούρατʼ ἔχοντες
But they, ever holding their sharp spears about the corpse,
νωλεμὲς ἐγχρίμπτοντο καὶ ἀλλήλους ἐνάριζον·
pressed on without ceasing, and slew one another.
ὧδε δέ τις εἴπεσκεν Ἀχαιῶν χαλκοχιτώνων·
And thus would one of the bronze-clad Achaeans say:
ὦ φίλοι οὐ μὰν ἧμιν ἐϋκλεὲς ἀπονέεσθαι
”My friends, it would indeed be no glorious thing for us to return
νῆας ἔπι γλαφυράς, ἀλλʼ αὐτοῦ γαῖα μέλαινα
to the hollow ships; but rather let the black earth
- 17.349ἧπαρ ὑπὸ πραπίδων
"the liver beneath the midriff." The preposition ὑπό with the accusative here denotes motion or penetration reaching beneath or under the specified body part.
- 17.351μετʼ Ἀστεροπαῖον
"next after Asteropaeus." The preposition μετά with the accusative indicates order or rank, meaning "next to" or "second only to," showing that Apisaon was second in valor to Asteropaeus among the Paeonians.
- 17.390μεθύουσαν ἀλοιφῇ
"drenched with fat." The verb μεθύω (usually meaning "to be drunk" or "sated") is used here metaphorically to describe the hide being thoroughly soaked or saturated with grease. The dative ἀλοιφῇ functions as a dative of means or cause.
- 17.398οὐδέ κʼ Ἄρης... οὐδέ κʼ Ἀθήνη / τόν γε ἰδοῦσʼ ὀνόσαιτʼ
"neither Ares... nor Athena, had they seen it, would have found fault with it." A potential or counterfactual construction consisting of the optative ὀνόσαιτο with the particle κεν (equivalent to ἄν), expressing what would (not) have happened under the given circumstances.